Our living campus

At the University of Leeds, we are committed to protecting and enhancing biodiversity across our estate. To do this, we want to create a living campus where people, nature and knowledge come together to support a healthier, more resilient future.

Through our Biodiversity Standard and Biodiversity Programme, we are working to become an exemplar of urban biodiversity, embedding nature into the planning, design, management and development of our estate. By enhancing habitats, supporting wildlife, strengthening climate resilience and creating opportunities for learning, research and engagement, we are creating spaces where both people and nature can thrive.

We believe biodiversity plays a vital role in creating healthier, more resilient and inspiring places to work, study and visit. Our approach combines habitat enhancement, biodiversity monitoring, community engagement and Living Lab projects to strengthen connections between nature, research and campus operations. By bringing together students, staff and partners, we are developing evidence-based solutions that benefit both biodiversity and the wider University community.

Our campus is home to a diverse range of green spaces and habitats that support wildlife and create opportunities for people to connect with nature. These include sustainable gardens, ponds, sensory gardens, tree collections, pollinator-friendly planting and habitats for species such as hedgehogs, peregrine falcons and bees. We continue to improve these spaces to increase biodiversity, support ecological resilience and create welcoming environments that contribute to health and wellbeing.

Learning through a Living Lab 

We use our campus as a Living Lab, connecting research, teaching and operations to address real world sustainability challenges. Biodiversity projects provide opportunities for students and staff to contribute to monitoring, research and habitat enhancement activities while generating knowledge that can inform future campus development. Innovative projects such as the Urban Biodiversity Monitoring Programme and the Roger Stevens Urban Pond demonstrate how our campus can be used to test new approaches and support learning, research and decision-making.  

Biodiversity monitoring 

Our award-winning Urban Biodiversity Monitoring Programme helps us understand how wildlife uses the campus and how urban landscapes can support nature recovery. By bringing together students, staff and visitors, the programme generates valuable evidence that informs campus management, supports research and helps shape future development projects. The programme is open to everyone, with species surveys designed to be completed while moving around campus or as a chance to take a break and engage with nature. Student Biodiversity Ambassadors lead regular group monitoring sessions during term time, creating opportunities to learn new skills, contribute to citizen science and improve our understanding of campus biodiversity. To get involved, explore our guidance sheet and record observations through our iNaturalist project or submit records using our online recording form. To join a monitoring session, contact [email protected]